LABOUR QUESTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13781, 20 June 1908, Page 6

LABOUR QUESTIONS.

NAPIER PAINTERS' UNION. [JJY TELEGRAPH.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Napier, Friday. A deputation from the Napier Painters' Union of Workers waited upon the Hon. J. A. Millar this evening, and complained that the recommendation filed in the dispute, between them and the employers differed in many respects from the settlement arrived at -whenjhe■ parties conferred in Napier last month. The Minister, in reply, said that if, as the deputation said, there wae likely to be a mistake with regard to the agreement come to, ho would consider it his- duty to draw the attention of the chairman of the Conciliation Board to the fact. Under the circumstances, however, the Conciliation Board need not have been approached at all. The agreement between the employers and workers could have been sent direct to the Arbitration Court, and become an award. This was another case in support, of what he had been striving for, namely, the formation of industrial councils, where employers and employees could discuss their differences without the interference of anyone else. Of course there would bo disagreements which would have to be referred to a Court, to settle, but there would be no necessity for the existence of practically two Courts, a lower and a higher one, as at present. LYTTELTON STEVEDORES. [by telegraph, —press association.] CiaiiSTcnxTirru, Friday. The Arbitration Court's ■ interpretation of clause 17 of the Lyttelton stevedores' award, '' In the event of men being ordered down to start work, and required to stand by, they shall receive half-pay until such time as they arc employed," given to-day, was as follows:—The question to bo decided was, "A man is engaged at eight a.m. to start work on the s.'s. M'onowai at 10 a.m., and the boat does not arrive until 11 a.m. Is tho man entitled to bo paid standing-by time from 10 a.m., or from eight a.m., the time of engagement":" The Court's- answer was: "In tho case put, the man is entitled to be paid for etanding-by time from the hour at which it was agreed that he should start work, namely, 10 o'clock. If a. man is engaged to start work at a particular hour, and the employer is not- ready to start work at that hour, tho man is not bound to stand by unless he then agrees to do fco, or unless, at the time of his engagement, he agreed to stand by, if required to do so by his employer.""